Kevin McGuff tabbed to ignite Huskies

SEATTLE -- Kevin McGuff was introduced Tuesday as Washington's new women's basketball coach, who is charged with turning around a program that has fallen on hard times.

McGuff comes to Seattle after nine seasons at Xavier, where he compiled a 213-73 career record. McGuff set a record for most wins in program history, and reached the postseason in each season with the Musketeers, including an appearance in the round of eight a year ago. His five straight NCAA tournament appearances are also a Xavier record.

"First and foremost, we wanted a proven winner," athletic director Scott Woodward said. "We wanted someone who we thought could nationally recruit as well as really recruit around where they're from, and we wanted someone, obviously, with the highest amount of integrity. I'm certain that we found that in coach McGuff."

McGuff was given a five-year contract worth an average of $475,000 per season. The Ohio native replaces Tia Jackson, who resigned last month after four lackluster seasons with the Huskies.

"Really what tied it all together for me was Scott's vision," McGuff said. "I could tell that he wanted something special out of this program and certainly it didn't take him long to sell me that I could be that person that could really do something special here."

McGuff chose to leave Xavier to take over a Washington program that has failed to make the postseason since the 2006-07 season. Jackson was hired after the 2007 season to replace the departing June Daugherty but failed to build upon the Huskies' prior success.

"I want us to sustain success," Woodward said. "I don't want it to be fleeting. I don't want it to come and go."

In addition to his success at Xavier, McGuff served as an assistant to Muffet McGraw at Notre Dame and helped lead the Fighting Irish to the 2001 national title.

"In terms of goals, that's going to be up to [the players]," McGuff said. "My job and my staff, we're going to help them get there and we'll have in place everything they need to do that, but I want them to really take ownership of what they want to accomplish next season."